What Corrie Saw
by Nikki-9-Doors
Summary: There's a reason the team knows so little about JJ's past, and when that reason shows up in a case file, how will the team react? JJ's about to learn that sometimes, it's not a matter of falling apart, but of coming together. Eventual JJ/Hotch.
1. Chapter 1

_~~~ Lots more to come! Just an idea that wouldn't let me go. Ahh...I know nothing really about the Witness Protection Program, so I'm sure I've gotten things wrong. Sorry sorry. Same goes for anything wrong with the geography - I'm not American, so I dunno. This fic will not be set in the past, but I need to start it there. Hope you enjoy! ~~~_

* * *

So long ago that now it seemed almost like a strange dream, "JJ" wasn't short for Jennifer Jareau but for Jenna Jakob.

Jenna Jakob was very much a tomboy. While a young child, she wore a messy blonde bob and had the most fun playing football or soccer. When she was eight years old one boy, a James Ledger Junior who also went by JJ, informed Jenna Jakob that JJ was a boy's nickname and she shouldn't use it. Jenna Jakob responded by punching him in the nose and telling him that JJ _was_a girl's nickname and furthermore, even if it wasn't, she was obviously more masculine than he. After that day, no one ever called James Ledger Junior "JJ" again.

Jenna Jakob and her family lived in the bustling downtown area of Seattle, Washington. Jenna had two older siblings; a brother, Harry, who was seven years older than her and a sister, Corrie, who was five years older. Corrie's real name was Cornelia, but no one called her that, to such an extent that Jenna Jakob wasn't even aware of her sister's full name until she was nearly nine. Both siblings shared Jenna's blonde hair, blue eyes, and nose. They all took after their mother.

One day when Jenna was ten she had to stay after school and suffer a detention. She'd gotten in trouble after throwing a tennis ball across the room and shattering a ceiling light. The teacher told her that she'd need to get money from her parents to fix it, and Jenna was quite worried.

While that was going on, Corrie Jakob, already home from the local high school which ended fifteen minutes before Jenna's elementary school, was sitting at the window in the living room. She had her back against the wall and her book against her leg, and looked up when she heard the loud gunning of an engine.

Home alone - her parents at work, Harry at rugby practice - the fifteen year-old Corrie watched, aghast, as a burly man jumped out of the car, ran across the lawn of the house across the street from her, and banged on the door loudly. A young woman came out of the house - Wendy Poore, who Corrie often saw and said hello to - and began arguing with him. There were shouted words which Corrie couldn't quite make out, and then the frightening man slapped Ms. Poore. Corrie gasped, not sure what to do, and then before she could do anything the man extracted a gun from the inside of his coat and shot Ms. Poore twice, in the head.

Corrie's book tumbled to the floor as she jumped from the window and the man calmly made his way back to his car. Their eyes caught for just a second, and Corrie's heart stopped, sure he would come after her too. But he only smirked and continued on his way, the engine roaring just as loud the second time as it had the first. Corrie watched his car drive away and then ran to the phone, dialling her father's work number.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, hysterical, when he finally picked up, "Some man just came and shot Ms. Poore across the street and I don't know what to do and she's dead I'm sure of it and he saw me, Daddy he saw me -!"

In the end, this was what mattered.

After the police had been contacted, the Jakob family was informed that Corrie was the soul witness to the murder of Wendy Poore, a woman rescued from sexual slavery two months prior. The man who had killed her was the leader of the horrific gang of men and even some women, who tricked girls into coming with them for a better life and instead sold them for sex. The police knew of them but were never able to pin them down in court. Until now. With Corrie's testimony, they could finally begin to break down the lethal gang, who would either murder, pay off, or abduct anyone who dared to challenge them.

What this also meant, of course, was that Corrie Jakob was in great danger. She'd have to be entered into the Witness Protection Program immediately - and, as she was just a child, so would the rest of her family.

Corrie was able to identify the man through pictures the police already had. He was brought in for Wendy Poore's murder, tried, and due almost solely to Corrie's testimony, found guilty. Then Corrie Jakob was lead from court, ushered into a waiting car, and all trace of her ended abruptly.

In the weeks leading up to the trial, Mr. and Mrs. Jakob resigned from their jobs. They told their friends that they had inherited some money and were moving to France for the rest of the year, something they'd always wanted to do, especially since Mrs. Jakob's father lived there (this was true - he was a Parisian university professor). The bilingual Mrs. Jakob would secure a job, Mr. Jakob would take a year off to contemplate his future career, and the kids would benefit from the French language, food, and culture. It was a grand tale, and as far as Jenna Jakob knew, it was the truth.

To their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jakob told a different story. They would be given new identities, placed in a new state, and only be able to contact their parents by secured telephone lines and letters sent through safe links. Paying the school for a shattered light bulb was the least of their concerns.

One Saturday morning, all the Jakob furniture was sent away in a moving van ("To be put in a storage facility until our return from France,") and the Jakob family members stood in their empty home, two suitcases each, waiting.

When the knock on the door came, they got in a car and were taken to a secured building. They stayed there for two days, and when Jenna Jakob asked her mother about the trip to France, her mother shook her head sadly and replied, "No, Jenna, things are going to go a bit differently."

Things were to go extremely differently. Each family member was given a new name, a new social security number, a new birth certificate, a new passport, and - for the over sixteen Jakobs - new driver's licenses. The Jakobs became the Jareaus. Jenna became Jennifer, Corrie became Cassandra, Harry became Harvey. They were told never to call one another their former names ever again. They had been given names close to their originals, so as not to forget. Jenna could still be JJ, or Jen. Corrie could be called Cassie. Harry and Harvey weren't so far off in sound. They were not to contact any old friends, and family could only be contacted via their US Marshal. They were going to be moved to a new home, the kids enrolled in new schools, and they would receive money, but Mr. and Mrs. Jakob were going to eventually have to find jobs - without any referrals. When asked, they were to say they came from Washington DC, and that they had wanted to move to a smaller place.

And what a small place it was. After leaving the secured building, the Jakob - now Jareau - family were placed on a private jet, which took them to the next state over. From there, they boarded a plane which flew to Pennsylvania. Eventually they arrived in an essential "Smalltown USA". As furniture - _their_ furniture - was moved into their new home, people came to watch and whisper. A few kids called out to Jenna, but she didn't respond.

"Don't talk to _anyone_," her father had warned, "Until you're able to call yourself Jennifer, call your sister Cassie, and call your brother Harvey. Understand?"

On that day, Jenna Jakob was still very confused.

But a week later, ready for the first day of fifth grade in her new school, a different JJ emerged. This school spanned more grades than her other one - kindergarten to grade eight, instead of grade six - but had a tinier population nonetheless. Her sister and brother walked her there, and when they reached the yard her brother reminded her quietly what her name was.

When she entered the class and the teacher invited her to introduce herself, she turned to the group of ten year-olds and said, "I'm Jennifer Jareau - but you can call me JJ."


	2. Chapter 2

_~~~ Sorry this chapter is a bit short. Again, I'm probably stretching the Witness Protection Program, but for the sake of this story...JJ can't leave it. ~~~_

* * *

Life for the Jareaus wasn't so easy at first.

Mrs. Jareau, formerly a translator for a major marketing company, found another job quickly at a department store in the city half an hour away, managing overseas costumers and once again having to put her language skills to work. The store was so desperate for someone who could communicate in a language other than English, they hired her nearly without question.

Mr. Jareau had been the editor of a top magazine, and finding work for him was more difficult. But after some months off, he returned to his first love, writing, and began working for the local paper, first with little pay and only occasional publishing, but eventually his articles became a regular feature.

Harvey graduated from high school and when autumn rolled around, headed to university for his medical degree. Corrie, born in the summer, celebrated her sixteenth birthday with no friends. She'd always been scholarly and shy, and had been too wary and self-conscious to make friends with her new classmates.

This was not the case for JJ. She had already sussed out that in her small town, jocks were treated like celebrities. Playing tackle football as a girl was not met with enthusiasm from the gossipy mothers, but it was perfectly fine for her to play soccer, especially since she was so darn good at it. The school's coach had sent her home with a registration form to join the town's rec. team, and he'd told her that next year there was a guaranteed spot for her on the school's team. The boys respected JJ, and the girls were in awe of her, and JJ was incredibly happy. She was young, and she adapted quickly.

The year progressed, and in sixth grade JJ did join the school's soccer team and she continued to bring home more friends after school and attend more slumber parties than she ever had before. She liked how close-knit the town was, how she could walk down the street and know someone's name, or at least recognize them, and they'd know her too. She liked the fact that she was able to impress - and sometimes even play better than - the thirteen year-olds on the soccer team, and she liked walking into a store, finding herself a dollar short, and being told not to worry about it, she could pay them back later.

Then one night, a few months after her eleventh birthday, Cassie walked into JJ's room. Her long hair spilled down her shoulders, she wore cuffed jeans and a black tank top, and she held something glittering in her hand. JJ was doing math homework at her desk, and ignored Cassie until she spoke.

"JJ, are you ever going to grow your hair long? It looks like a boy's," Cassie said. JJ raised a hand to her short strands. She still had the same messy bob cut she'd had since she was younger.

"I like it short," she replied, "It's less work."

Cassie, who had been leaning against JJ's doorframe, walked over to the desk and opened her palm, revealing the glittering object to be her gold locket. She'd gotten it from her best-friend for her thirteenth birthday. She always wore it, and it had been the only piece of jewellery JJ had ever coveted. Cassie knew this.

"You can have it," Cassie said now.

"I can't take it," JJ protested, but her longing eyes gave her away. They didn't stray from the necklace.

"As long as you promise to always remember me when you wear it, you can have it." Cassie insisted.

"I promise," JJ said quietly, wide-eyed, her math homework forgotten.

"You have to remember me as Corrie, though," Cassie was whispering now - she didn't want their parents to hear. "Ok?"

JJ nodded, "Ok," she agreed. She turned so her sister could fasten it around her neck. The clasp clicked, and JJ smiled as the locket shone up at her from her t-shirt.

"I love you, JJ." Cassie said.

JJ gave her sister a strange look. They got along ok, but declarations of hate were much more common - and expected - than ones of love.

"I love you, JJ, you know that, right? No matter what happens." Cassie added.

JJ nodded and smiled up at her big sister, "I know," she said, "Thank you," and then: "I love you too."

Satisfied, Cassie left the room. JJ returned to her homework. She didn't know it, but in a few hours, Cassie would hang herself from the belt of her robe, in the closet. Her father would find her and start to holler. Her mother would run to him and burst into tears. 911 would be called - paramedics would arrive and pronounce Cassandra Jareau dead. Investigators would rule it a suicide. Harvey would temporarily leave university and the family would go to Arizona, where Mr. Jareau's parents lived, and have Cassandra buried there. They would remember her suicide letter - found alongside her in the closet - and check with their US Marshal before engraving _Cornelia Jakob _onto her headstone.

Her suicide letter went like this:

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I know this will tear you apart, but I have to do it. It's all my fault that we've had to start new lives, and now that I'm gone perhaps you can go back to Seattle and tell the neighbours about the vacation in France, and how I died bravely from an unsuspected case of leukemia. I just can't live anymore, scared and guilty and so alone._

_I'm not Cassandra Jareau, I'm Cornelia Jakob, and please burry me that way._

_Let JJ and Harry know that I love them, because I do._

_Forever,_

_Corrie _

After that a few things were established.

One was that Cassie had died perhaps in vain, for they could never go back to their former lives.

"The gang is vengeful," the Jareaus were informed, "They could come after all of you, or -" there was a look in JJ's direction.

Two was that JJ decided to grow her hair long, as Cassie had had hers.

Three was that the family, which grew quite accustomed to their new identities, came to think of their deceased sister and daughter as Corrie once again - they only referred to her as Cassandra when with the townspeople.

Four was that the smallness of the town, which JJ had previously adored, became to her a great cause of aggravation. Everywhere she went, everyone knew of her sister's suicide and looked at her with pitying eyes. She grew to find it insufferable, absolutely hated it, and could not wait until she could move out.

Which lead to the fifth; if JJ wanted to get away, she'd have to go to a good university, and she'd have to do _that _almost totally on her own. Her depressed mother became unstable, quit her job, and blew all the family's savings (this, too, earned JJ pitying eyes). So JJ carried on with her soccer, earned herself a scholarship, and got the hell out.

She ended up in the BAU.


	3. Chapter 3

_~~~ To the present at last. :) Please let me know what you think -- all comments appreciated! ~~~_

* * *

JJ wound up in Georgetown because at the age of ten she'd been instructed to tell people she came from Washington DC, but in actuality, she'd never been there at all and had always been curious.

Of course, being in Georgetown lead to David Rossi's book and subsequent speech on it, which convinced her to apply to the Academy. Her pre-established connection to the criminal justice system and the law was the final factor in that decision.

In the end, JJ had found herself with a job she absolutely loved, and she credited it all to her sister. She did think of Corrie every day, but she didn't think of herself as Jenna Jakob. No, she was Jennifer Jareau and all memories of being otherwise were faint and vague. They only resurfaced when she occasionally rediscovered a faded finger painting, old baby albums with her at-birth name scrawled across the backs of photos, or elementary school report cards.

No one on the team knew that she was really part of the Witness Protection Program, nor did Will nor anyone else she had ever been involved with. She didn't feel it something that needed to be told; to her, being Jennifer Jareau wasn't some sort of secret, it was her normal life. She wasn't afraid of being tracked down by the man her sister had put behind bars, and since both sets of grandparents had died - all during her high school years - she had no need to go through secure channels to contact family.

Her brother felt different. After Corrie had died and their mother had gone off the deep end, Harvey had cut off all contact with his family for a while. He'd been given the choice of going back to Harry Jakob if he ceased communicating with the Jareaus, but although he'd essentially already done that, he turned that option down. Once he graduated, he'd moved into their grandparents home in Arizona - it'd been left to their father, who then sold it to Harvey - and opened his own clinic. There was a particularly explosive Christmas where he had called their mother "a depressed self-obsessed horror" and told JJ she was "delusional" for forgetting their past life, but when a relationship with a girl he was casually dating turned serious and he decided to propose, he brought his family back into his life.

Now JJ had a sister-in-law, Brooke, a niece, Charlotte, and twin nephews who had been born only a few months before Henry - Johnny and Ken. Brooke knew that Harvey Jareau had been born Harry Jakob; Harry was Johnny's middle name, and Jakob was Ken's.

Today JJ sat in her cluttered office, a new selection of case files on her desk. She'd already pushed aside two which were, in her professional opinion, not priority cases - that feeling of double-guessing herself was present in her stomach, as it often was when she had to make that decision, fluttery and gnawing.

JJ twisted the small ring on her finger - the one with Henry's birthstone - before reaching for the next file and flipping it open. She took a big breath, braced herself for the nasty crime details and gory crime scene pictures which were sure to follow, and dove in.

She was unprepared for what she found, and she jumped up from her desk, grabbing the file as she scurried out of the room and over to Hotch's office, her heels clicking on the floor.

"Hotch," she said, "Since when do we do - _this_?"

The distress was apparent in her voice and Hotch looked up from his desk, concern etched across his face. "What, JJ?" he asked, "What is it?"

"I - I don't even know what you'd call it. It's an old case, the guy has the opportunity to get out on parole, and they want us to do a profile on him to prove his innocence." JJ replied.

Hotch sat back a bit, unfazed, "Oh, that's nothing JJ, don't worry about it. They usually send them directly to Dave or I, Gideon used to do them all the time - just a preliminary profile, we give them to some detectives too, nothing incredibly in-depth but just to help out. Give me the file and I'll take care of it."

"No, Hotch." It came without her meaning to.

Hotch frowned, "Excuse me?"

JJ shook her head. _Get a hold of yourself, _she mentally chastised.

"Hotch," she said, trying for calm but not quite making it, "This guy's guilty."

"And the profile may point towards that, or may indicate otherwise."

"He's not innocent!"

JJ had Hotch's full attention now. If he was being honest with himself, JJ often had his attention - he did have sort of a thing for blondes - but she was in a serious relationship and he respected that.

"JJ, how would you know that?"

"My sister gave the testimony that convicted him. Hotch, she _saw_ him shoot and kill our neighbour."

"The sister that killed herself."

It wasn't said disrespectfully or derogatorily; it was just a confirmation of a fact.

JJ closed her eyes for a moment: "Yes."

"Is that why she -?" he spoke before he thought, and then admonished himself for it. That wasn't a mistake he made often. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"No it's fine…I can't get into it all now Hotch, I have work to do just please don't -"

"Set the file on my desk and I'll deal with it JJ, really."

JJ nodded, click-clacked her way over to him, and lay the file in front of him. Their eyes caught as she did so.

"Are you alright?" He checked.

JJ nodded, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

She left the room, and although she was hoping otherwise, she was visibly jarred.

The last thing she was was _alright_.

~~~***~~~~

As Emily Prentiss made her way towards the BAU's media liaison, she reflected on how surprisingly little she knew about her.

Of course Emily knew about JJ's life now, and about her life with the BAU, and the basics of her childhood - she'd grown up in a small town, been a soccer player, gotten herself a scholarship, gone to Penn State and then Georgetown. She believed JJ had some nieces and nephews, which obviously meant at least one sibling, and she knew that JJ had had a sister - she didn't know the age, or name - who'd committed suicide.

But when you compared that to all she knew about Reid's insane childhood - the schizophrenic mother he was nonetheless quite close too, the zipping through school, the bullies, the distant father, and that whole Riley Jenkins episode - it was incredibly insufficient. She really didn't know much about JJ's family at all. She rarely heard mention of any cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents. She rarely heard mention of _parents_.

JJ was stirring sugar into her coffee as Emily reached her, "Hey, JJ," she greeted.

"Emily, hi." JJ answered. Her smile was strained.

"How are you doing?"

"Me? I'm - I'm fine."

"Really? 'Cause, Hotch said he thought you were a little freaked out." Emily confessed, leaning against the counter.

"He said that? He actually said 'freaked out'?" JJ inquired. _If Hotch used the term "freaked out", _she thought to herself, _I must be acting really out of it._

Emily snorted, "No," and JJ visibly relaxed. _Ok, _she thought, _it's not that bad. _

"Seriously though - do you want to talk about it?" Emily questioned.

JJ blew some air out of her mouth and strands of her air wafted upwards before falling back down against her face. She absentmindedly continued to stir her coffee, despite all the sugar having dissolved. Yes, she did want to talk about it. But talking about it meant spilling it all, everything, each pesky little detail. She knew Emily would make a big deal of being in the Witness Protection Program - anyone would - but in reality, it wasn't a big deal. It had nothing to do with her. The only one who still had contact with their US Marshal was her father, and even then it was only for check-ins, never frequent.

She took to long to reply, and Emily tapped the counter quickly with her fingertips once before standing up straight and giving her friend a soft smile, "Well, no matter what happens, I'm here, ok?"

"Ok," JJ agreed. The word barely made it out of her mouth. It was a squeak.

_Major déjà vu, _she thought dizzily. As Emily left, she took a sip of her coffee, to steady herself.

Disappointingly, it had turned cold.

~~~***~~~

Hotch read over the file. The man seemed positively grisly. He had been unsuccessfully tried for human trafficking multiple times, but got off on lack of evidence. He was finally put away on a murder charge, convicted mostly due to the testimony of a fifteen year-old girl, the only witness - Cornelia Jakob.

The furrow between Hotch's brow grew deeper. Cornelia Jakob? Short of having different fathers - which Hotch didn't believe was true - how could that girl be JJ's sister? He recalled JJ's words: _She _saw_ him shoot and kill our neighbour…_

But the crime had taken place in a Seattle neighbourhood. Admittedly, JJ had never said outright that she'd only ever lived in Pennsylvania as a child, but that's what Hotch had come to believe. Now he had a multitude of questions - was Cornelia Jakob really JJ's sister? If so, why didn't they share a surname? Had JJ lived in Seattle at some point? Then why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?

Hotch shook himself. _Don't be stupid, _he chastised, _you're really just caught up on her. Those questions don't really matter. She didn't intentionally keep you from knowing all of this. _

Little did he realize, Jennifer Jareau's world was changing faster than anyone could possibly see.


	4. Chapter 4

_~~~ Thanks so much for the alerts, favourites, and reviews. I hope this chapter is to your liking! ~~~_

* * *

Late that afternoon JJ smiled faintly as she watched Henry, now almost two, toddle around their kitchen. She was leaning against the wall, phone to her ear, half-listening to her father.

Henry began to fall and she called out, "Careful!" She hurried to steady her son.

"Pardon?" her father inquired.

"No, not you, Dad - Henry. He nearly fell."

"Ah, well. He's ok then?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Something's on your mind, JJ, what is it?" Her father asked next. JJ rolled her eyes. Depending on her mood, her dad's knack for telling when she was upset either irritated her or endeared her. Today it was the former.

"This case came across my desk at work…"

"JJ, you know how I feel about your work."

Yes, of course; he felt it was too distressing for anyone to do, especially his little girl. He actually protested to it so much that there had been a time when JJ didn't think she'd ever be able to speak to him again. Her mother was even worse - she burst into tears at the very idea. Simply watching the six o' clock news was an ordeal in the elder Jareau's home. To them, their daughter had not killed herself, but had been murdered. JJ's job was taboo, and she rarely discussed it with them. She rarely discussed anything with them, but her father called one a week, and JJ put up with it. Their relationship was sadly strained, although she and Harvey had grown closer ever since Henry had been born.

"Yeah, but Dad -" JJ hesitated before pressing on, "It's _the_ case."

"What? That's impossible."

"Um -"

"That case is solved." Her father's voice was firm, leaving room for no other possiblity except his own.

JJ rubbed her forehead - she regretted brining it up, just as she knew she would. So why _had_ she brought it up? She reached out and smoothed back Henry's wispy blonde hair. She figured she just had to talk about it to someone who could fully understand.

"I know dad, but he stands a chance of getting out on parole and his lawyers want one of the team members to do a profile on him to prove how unlikely it is that he even committed the crime in the first place."

"WHAT?" her dad was incensed, "That guy's guilty for a lot more than he got put away for! No justice these days, just scamming, just bargaining, well I'll tell you JJ -"

As her father continued, JJ zoned out. She had felt a little prick of guilt when she referred to Hotch as "one of the team members" but the truth was, she never let on to her parents how close she and her colleagues were, and she never gave them names. She didn't blur the line between her life with the team and Henry and Will and her life with her parents. Sometimes it _was_ as though had two identities, but not as Jenna and Jennifer; as JJ, daughter, and JJ, friend.

The door opened and Will's accented voice called out, "JJ?"

"I gotta go Dad," JJ said quickly, relieved to have an excuse, "Will's just come back with the groceries. I love you. Goodbye." she hung up, with another prick of guilt, before he could reply.

Will smiled as she rounded the corner to meet him in the entryway.

"Where's Henry?" he inquired, the door proped half-open behind him, one grocery bag suspended from his arm.

"In the kitchen…" JJ looked back in that direction momentarily before directing her attention to him, "Need some help?"

"I think I can handle a few plastic bags." There was a lazy smile.

"I know," JJ agreed. She took a few steps closer and kissed him on the cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too," and then: "Tough day?"

"Just…a lot going on with work." JJ sighed.

Will dropped the grocery bag to wrap an arm around her, "Now, you know you could always take a break." he said comfortingly.

JJ smiled at him, not answering. _A break, _she thought, _Maybe. _

"I should go check back on Henry," she said.

"And I should get the rest of the groceries," he replied, "Tacos for dinner?"

"That sounds great."

~~~***~~~

"Hey," Emily greeted Morgan and Reid, both standing nearby the coffeemaker, "Have either of you seen JJ this morning?"

They both shook their heads.

"Oh," Emily frowned momentarily before shrugging it off, "Well, she was a bit frazzled yesterday. Maybe she took the morning off."

"Frazzled? She seemed fine to me." Morgan replied.

"Yeah…I don't know. Hotch is certainly concerned about her." Emily said.

Reid rolled his eyes, "Hotch _always_ concerns himself with JJ."

Emily grinned and Morgan chuckled, "Jealous there, lover-boy?"

"Please," Reid responded, "That was years ago."

"What?" Emily nearly squealed, "_What_ was years ago?"

"Oh that's right," Morgan smirked at Reid, "Emily wasn't here. A couple years back, Gideon decided to play matchmaker and give Reid some tickets to a game so he could take JJ out on a date."

"Shut up," Reid mumbled.

"C'mon! I can't believe no one ever told me that!" Emily exclaimed, giggling.

As Reid turned red, Morgan winked at him, "No need to be upset, Reid - I think JJ goes for accents."

"If you must know," Reid replied, "We _did_ go on a second date." Then he blushed some more as Emily and Morgan burst into laughter.

"Wow," Emily shook her head in amazement, "And JJ's never even mentioned it."

"Yeah, well we all know how secretive she was with her and Will's initial relationship." Morgan pointed out.

"Which reminds me," Reid interjected, "Hotch was asking about JJ's sister? Apparently she was forwarded a case file that her sister was the witness for…except they have a different last name."

"Well that's weird." Morgan said bluntly.

Recalling her thoughts from the day before, Emily commented, "I actually don't know that much about JJ…"

They looked at each other guiltily, until finally Reid voiced their shared thought - "Er, we all know who to go to for background details…"

Then Reid and Emily looked at Morgan.

If they wanted to pry into JJ's childhood, they'd need Garcia. And Morgan's power of charm.

~~~***~~~

"Sorry, my lovable munchkins, no can do. You don't inter-profile; I don't inter-dig."

"Aren't you even curious?!" Reid exclaimed.

"Please, baby doll? Won't you work some magic for us?" Morgan tried.

"No, I won't even consider it!" Garcia replied stubbornly. She looked to Emily for back-up, and Emily sighed.

"Garcia's right you guys…digging into JJ's past would be wrong. We wouldn't want it done to us."

Morgan snorted, "Didn't stop you guys when…"

"That was different! They made me! You were facing a murder charge!" Garcia almost whined, still somewhat guilty over having to delve into Morgan's childhood and have him reveal the horrific secret he'd been carrying for so long.

"The file says her sister was the only witness but…how do we know that's not just what they're saying?" Reid spoke ominously.

The four looked at each other again.

Garcia's curiosity was now also caught.

"_Fine!" _she relented, spinning towards her keyboard, "But if she asks -!"

Morgan, Emily, and Reid crowded closer. There was the feeling they were doing something bad, but they wrote it off as being concerned for their friend. All watched, eyes glued to the computer, as Garcia began typing and things began flying up on the screen.

"Ok, I can go all the way back to the time she was ten. Nothing we don't know. Georgetown, Penn State, soccer scholarship, small Pennsylvanian high school…Let's see, her mother worked predominantly as a translator, father as a journalist - what do you expect me to find?" Garcia informed, and then inquired.

"You can't go further back? Past ten?" Morgan asked in response.

"Most elementary schools delete records of students after five years." Garcia replied.

"What about hospital records?" Morgan pressed.

"_What_ do you expect me to find?!" Garcia repeated, now quite worried as to what the BAU big-brains might be thinking.

"If JJ didn't hurt herself or get incredibly sick, there'd be no reason for hospital records. Really, she'd only have to go to a walk-in clinic for check-ups, and the likelihood of that showing up is slim." Reid reasoned.

"But that's not right - JJ broke her ankle when she was eight. Rolled it right over a soccer ball." Emily put in, remembering a recent conversation between her and her blond coworker friend.

"Ok. So that'd require a hospital visit. And an insurance payment." Morgan pointed out. Garcia's hands were a flurry of typing and clicking, but eventually she shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, "I…are you sure?" The last part to Emily - Garcia had never failed at digging up information. She had never failed at hacking. If Emily was right, then it would have to be out in computer-land somewhere, and she should have been able to find it.

"Try the name Cornelia Jakob," Reid suggested.

"This isn't _Google_," Garcia said, half-joking, half-exasperated. But she complied and then said, "Cornelia Jakob. I have a birth certificate and - oh. A death certificate. She only would have been sixteen."

Morgan, Emily, and Reid retreated slightly, all nodding slowly. They'd been listening on the jet when JJ had been confiding to Hotch, a couple months ago. Profilers were a nosey bunch - that's what made them so good at their jobs.

"What else, Penelope?" Emily asked softly.

"Uhh her mother was a translator, her father an editor…"

"Sounds about right if we're assuming JJ and Cornelia had the same parents," Morgan commented.

"Right." Garcia agreed, "She was smart - entered into a whole bunch of state-wide math competitions."

"Which state?" Reid inquired.

"Washington…looks like she lived in Seattle. Then - oh my god."

"She witnessed a murder." Emily sighed sadly.

"Yeah, when she was just fifteen and…" Garcia gasped, and as the others read the screen, they're mouths widened in shock.

"She and her family was placed in the Witness Protection Program." Reid murmured. The four looked at each other. If JJ was Cornelia's sister, did that mean…?

"Well, it would explain the last names." said Morgan matter-o-factly.

Their heads swivelled as the door rattled and then opened, "Hey Garcia, I was wondering -" JJ stopped, surprised to see not only Garcia but Reid, Morgan, and Prentiss too. "Oh," she said, "Hi. What are you guys -"

She leaned in to see the screen, even as Morgan moved to conceal it. Her heart began to hammer as she read a familiar name - _Cornelia Jakob_.

"What -?" then she spotted three more words: Witness Protection Program.

_They knew._

JJ took a couple startled steps backward, even as Garcia exclaimed, "Jayje!"

She fled from the cramped office, hearing calls of, "Wait!" and "JJ!" as she did so.

_They knew._


	5. Chapter 5

_~~~ Hope everyone had a good Easter! Thank you for reviews, alerts, and a favourites! Enjoy! (Reid's little fact is fabricated.) ~~~_

* * *

JJ had woken up that morning not to the screeching of her son, or her alarm, but instead music coming from outside. She had groaned and rolled over. _People should not be allowed to play the radios in their cars that loudly_, she'd decided.

The clock told her she only had five more minutes of sleep before she had to go to work, but she desperately wanted more than that. So she decided next that she felt a little bit under-the-weather and wouldn't go to work. However, after calling in to tell them so and sitting with Henry on the couch watching nonsense baby TV for an hour, she felt too guilty and chose to go in after all.

She needed to ask Garcia about babysitting this weekend and figured she'd pop in quickly to do that. _And good thing I did decide to, _JJ thought wildly as she hurried down the hall, away from the team and the words on Garcia's computer screen._ I doubt any of them would have confronted me about knowing. And then I'd just be some walking oddity without even being aware of it…_

"JJ"

Oh no. Hotch. Did he -?

But he hadn't been in the room with them, so JJ decided her secret was safe from him - for now.

She turned to face him. He'd just come out of his office.

"I though you were sick?"

"I was - I mean, I am…I thought I felt better but now I think…I have to go home again."

Then three agents and a technical analyst rounded the corner, all looking both sheepish and concerned, and all coming to a halt as they saw JJ and Hotch.

Hotch looked over at them. He knew that something was up.

"What's going on?" his voice was full of suspicion.

JJ looked at her friends. Would they tell him? They looked back at her. Would _she_ tell him?

Then: "Nothing," Reid said, a little too quickly, "Did you know it's been proven that people who wash their hands obsessively are more likely to become sick than those who only wash them when necessary?"

Everyone stared at him dully.

"Right," Hotch said eventually, "Get back to work."

As the four disbanded and JJ turned to leave, Hotch reached out a hand to her - "What's really going on, JJ?"

"Nothing," JJ shook her head, "Nothing."

Maybe if she repeated it enough times, it'd become true.

[XYZ]

JJ sat in her car, engine not yet started but both hands on the wheel. She stared straight ahead and tried to reason with herself. Maybe they didn't really know. Maybe they…

But no matter how she tried to spin it, the truth was cold and it was there. _Still, _she pointed out, _You've always felt it's not a big deal. It's probably best to treat it that way now._

JJ nodded. Right. Time to get some coffee.

She pulled out of the FBI parking lot, towards the nearest Dunkin' Donuts.

[XYZ]

Was JJ in the Witness Protection Program?

Reid ran the question around his mind. He'd known JJ for about six years. If she was in the Program, that meant she'd been in it for at least six and a half. But her sister had been a witness at fifteen, and killed herself at sixteen, when JJ was eleven. That means when her sister "and family" had been put in the Program, JJ would have been ten. Reid shook his head. The concept was too much. Be in the Witness Protection Program for over twenty years? Live more than half her life under a different name?

Thought Reid to himself, _She'd be more Jennifer Jareau than she was whomever she was christened. _

As for Morgan, he dismissed the idea almost immediately. Sure, JJ's reaction had been one that indicated the truth of the matter, but then, if he stumbled upon almost the entire team looking into his past, he'd probably run too - regardless of whether the information that showed up on screen was correct or not.

Furthermore, he rationalized that even if JJ had been in the Witness Protection Program, her sister - the witness - had killed herself, so there wasn't any need for JJ to continue being part of the Program. Or was there? Morgan could still hear Reid's words, _The file says her sister was the only witness but…how do we know that's not just what they're saying?_ Was Reid right? _Was_ JJ part of the Witness Protection Program?

But no, he didn't want to assume that. He took things at face value. No doubt, someone with the intention to keep their identities a secret wouldn't put themselves on the news nearly every week, appealing for a serial killer to come forward. No, that was too far-fetched for him. He preferred facts to theories, and for the time being he was going to stick to the facts - he knew JJ as JJ, and that was all he needed.

Emily liked to talk. She wasn't so much a thinker as a talker; that is to say, she did better discussing problems and their solutions than she did thinking them over. Still, she recognized that what they'd uncovered that morning wasn't up for discussion, so she was left with no option but to mull it over in her head. This made her restless and slightly uneasy, fiddling with her pens and jiggling her knee up and down under her desk, until eventually she became so fidgety that she just had to call JJ.

Of course, JJ didn't answer her phone, and after a lengthy amount of consideration, Emily chose not to leave a message. Unlike Morgan, Emily, in the end, thought opposite - she was certain that JJ _was_ part of the Witness Protection Program. There was just something in her gut that told her so. Somehow, it explained so much, despite the fact that there really wasn't anything that needed explaining.

In what she liked to consider her "Shrine to Everything Tech and Amazing" and what the others boringly called her "office", Garcia sat in her chair, absent-mindedly rolling back and forth and playing with a feathery, sparkle-drowned hairclip. She felt absolutely wretched and one-hundred-percent horrible. Many times she'd stared at her keyboard and believed it to be the source of all evil, and she did so again now. _How_ could she have exposed JJ's past like that? _How_ could she have so very heartlessly…?

Finally, with determination, she'd pushed herself up from her chair and made her way to Hotch's office. She didn't realize it, but the ridiculous hairclip was still clasped between her fingers.

"Garcia," said Hotch, noticing her before she had a chance to make herself noticed. (Really, anyone could see Garcia and her colourful outfits coming a mile away.)

"Sir," Garcia said, some slight panic in her voice, "This morning, Reid and Prentiss and Morgan and I -"

"Garcia, that's forgotten." Hotch didn't know what had gone on that morning, but he did know it hadn't pertained to their jobs. While he was unimpressed with the unprofessional manner, he wasn't about to make a big deal about it, and he really didn't expect an apology. In truth, he hadn't even given it a second thought - he only had two issues on his mind; one was all the work he had to get through, the other was JJ's health.

"No, no," Garcia was shaking her head and moving herself more into his office, "Reid mentioned a file you gave him and how the last names didn't match so we thought we'd look up, you know, JJ and Cornelia Jakob and when we did that we found out that there is no record of JJ before her tenth birthday and that Cornelia Jakob was entered into the Witness Protection Program right around the time JJ would have been ten." Garcia spoke quickly and her voice threatened a slight breakdown.

"What are you saying?" Hotch asked quietly.

"I don't know Hotch - Cornelia Jakob sees a bad man doing a bad thing and she and her family are put in the Witness Protection Program, then JJ says Cornelia Jakob was her sister -"

"You're suggesting JJ was part of the Witness Protection Program?"

"No," Garcia replied, "I'm suggesting she still is."

Then, realizing what she'd said, Garcia took a deep breath, nodded, and exited the Unit Chief's office. She was trembling so much that she dropped the over-adorned hairclip.

"Garcia -" Hotch called out, but she'd already left. He stared at the feather-and-sparkles-encrusted hair accessory, then shook himself to get his attention away from it.

He had two issues to tackle - the first was work. The second was JJ.

[XYZ]

JJ sipped her coffee as she drove around Washington DC and Virginia with no real care for where she ended up. When her cup (a large) was drained, she turned around and headed for Henry's daycare. Once there, she picked up her son and stopped at home only for a second, to grab the stroller. Next time they stopped they were at a shopping mall.

It was the best therapy she knew. Garcia had taught it to her. Blow some money, buy something pretty. Guaranteed to feel better, at least for a little bit.

JJ rolled Henry into a couple clothing stores, but found she had no desire to buy for herself. So she took him into Toys R Us, and the sight of her son exclaiming over toys did make her feel much, much better, to the point where she purchased three gifts for him before making herself stop. _Let's not spoil him too quickly, _she told herself, with a smile.

She didn't return home until around four, ignoring her cell phone each time it rang without even checking the ID, hoping that it wasn't Will and knowing he'd forgive her if it was.

At six she fixed them all a lovely dinner, spaghetti with alfredo sauce and chicken on top for her and Will, long limp spaghetti strands and tiny cut-up chicken pieces for Henry. She and Will watched TV while Henry played with his new toys on the carpet in front of them. JJ had pushed all thoughts about her former, secret life as Jenna Jakob from her mind. _No worries, _she thought each time she remembered, and forced her attention onto whatever task was at hand.

Then, shortly after eight, the doorbell rang and as JJ rose to answer it she knew there could be no more denying.

Hotch stood at the other side. Yes, they knew, and what's worse - one of them had told their boss.

"JJ," Hotch looked side-to-side, sketchily, as though he were afraid he might be overheard. "Can I come in?"

"What's this about?" JJ inquired, doing her best to come across innocent and naïve. She thought maybe he'd use his profiling skills to realize she didn't want to mention it, she was fine going on as was, acting as though nothing happened. If he did pick up on her feelings, though, he ignored them.

"I'm worried about you JJ," Hotch said, as from inside the house Will called out, "Who's there, Jayje?"

JJ gave a small sort of laugh, "Worried? Why would…why would you be worried?"

Hotch gave her a look, "I think you know why," and then: "I don't know exactly what happened this morning, but I can tell you that I haven't seen Garcia so depressed since the Bureau denied her request to paint the walls in all the offices bright orange. She's feeling very guilty."

JJ crossed her arms over her chest, uncomfortable. She looked away when she answered, "I'm not mad at her." It was, in the end, the truth.

"I know you're not. But JJ, you've got to tell me what's going on."

JJ looked back at Hotch, only to see that his gaze had moved from her to a spot just beyond her shoulder. Looking behind her, she could see Will approaching. He reached her and placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Good to see you, Agent Hotchner. What brings you 'round here this time of night?"

"Just - checking in. JJ mentioned not feeling too well this morning." Hotch answered, unsurely. By the worried expression on JJ's face, he could tell she hadn't told Will anything about being part of the Witness Protection Program - that is, if she was a part of it.

"Well that's very kind of you." Will said, giving a slight smile. JJ held back the urge to roll her eyes. She wished Will would leave so she could just get the conversation with Hotch over and done with.

"JJ -" Hotch hesitated before pushing on, "Your sister, that case, her testimony…she would have had to been put into federal protection." Their gazes locked for a moment, and the two of them took that time to confirms their suspicions. For JJ - yes, he knew. For Hotch - yes, she had been, or was in, the Witness Protection Program.

"Goodnight, JJ. Will." Hotch nodded politely at the latter before departing. As his car rolled away, JJ slowly shut the door.

"What was that all about?" Will asked, quietly.

JJ kept her eyes downcast. "He thinks I'm part of the Witness Protection Program." she muttered. The words left her throat dry.

"Now why would he think that?" Will asked. The question seemed to fill the entire space around them. There was nothing but that question, leaning on JJ, grabbing her and propelling her, forcing her to meet Will's gaze and give him an honest answer.

"Because I am."


	6. Chapter 6

_~~~ You guys have been so great! Thanks! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! ~~~_

* * *

"Will -"

JJ's voice was a cross between and whine and a plea. Will turned away from her momentarily, then looked back.

"What?" He shook his head, a small, unsure smile playing on his lips, "You're kiddin' me, right?"

"No Will, I - I wish...I..." she couldn't make herself say _I'm sorry_. She wasn't sorry. It wasn't any of his business.

_You're all but married to him, _a small voice in her head pointed out, _and your being part of the Witness Protection Program is none of his business?_

"How?" Will was leaning against the wall now, and his voice was so soft - not scared, not mad, just quiet - that JJ nearly missed it.

"Will," JJ said slowly, "We...we should put Henry to bed first." She didn't think he'd comply, but he did, heading back towards the living room to collect their son.

JJ tried to take Henry from him but Will shook his head, "I'll do it." JJ nodded, kissed both of them on the forehead, and as Will and Henry's voices disappeared down the hall ("Time for bed, Henry," "Canna keep m' new toys wi' me?") JJ headed for the kitchen and filled the kettle. _Some tea will calm us down,_ she hoped.

How could this have happened? How could her carefully contained secret come waltzing out for all to see? And what did that mean for her, anyway? Now that six people knew about her involvement in the Program, would she have to relocate, or something? But what would be the point? Then again, if that guy did get out of jail...only why would he come after her? Would he really be that vengeful? Would he really even remember?

He was the source of all her problems. Without him, this never would have happened. JJ realized she could trace it back even further. Without him, she'd have never been in the Program to start with. She'd never have lived in Pennsylvania. Her relationship with her parents would be better. Probably, she wouldn't have needed a scholarship. Who knows if she'd have kept with soccer or not. Corrie would still be alive. All her mail would be addressed to "Ms. Jenna Jakob". She might have never even joined the BAU. That would mean, in all likelihood, never meeting Will. Or having Henry.

Her whole damn life would be different.

Suddenly JJ was terribly mad at the man who had changed everything. There was NO WAY he could get out on parole. Not only had he taken her sister's life away, but he'd taken away Jenna Jakob's too...

_Calm down,_JJ instructed herself,_You can't explain things to Will while you're angry. Furthermore, you love your life as Jennifer Jareau. Don't be daft._

It was true. She adored her friends, her job, her house, Will, Henry. But that didn't stem her annoyance with the criminal her sister had put away.

The kettle popped just as Will returned from Henry's room. JJ pulled two mugs from the cupboard and plopped a teabag in each.

"Thank you," Will said, his voice sounding hollow as he accepted his cup, "You...uh...wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

JJ nodded quickly, "Of course," she said. She paused, trying to think where to begin. Then - "My sister..."

Will nodded in understanding. Corrie. The one whose grave JJ had taken him to once, and cried, and Will had held her and told her in his kind drawl that it was ok, that crying was the best way to feel better.

"She killed herself because she witnessed a murder. She had to testify in court, the only witness, against not only a murderer but a member of a human trafficking gang. We all had to go in the Witness Protection Program. She felt so guilty for doing that to us." JJ said, her voice coming out steadily as she related the story.

"Who are you really?" Will asked wearily, in a tone that suggested he felt betrayed.

JJ looked him in the eye. Sternly she said, "I am Jennifer Jareau. I am JJ. I've been Jennifer Jareau for more than half of my life I...I don't even remember my other name, half the time."

"But what is it?"

"Jenna." said JJ, licking her lips hastily, "Jenna Jakob."

They stood, staring at one another, both waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally, Will took a sip of his tea. "Well," he said once he had swallowed, "I did always like the name Jenna."

[XYZ]

If only it could end with Will.

But the next morning, JJ had to wake up and face the fact that it couldn't end with Will. Her whole team - with the exception of Rossi, although Hotch had probably filled him in by now - knew about her double identity. She should probably tell her parents that people knew, and her parents would undoubtedly inform the US Marshal.

_Oy, _JJ thought, already exhausted despite the fact that the day had just begun.

Stepping off the elevator an hour and a half later, JJ couldn't remember being so nervous since the first time she'd asked a boy out. She checked over her shoulder, and then did a quick look around - she couldn't see any of the team. Good. She didn't want to see them. If she could just make it to her office without seeing one of them...

That was, of course, impossible. Garcia must have been laying in wait, for as JJ began to make her way through the bullpen area and up the steps, the eclectic computer addict called out, "Jayje!"

JJ turned, dread filling up her whole body.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about it," Garcia said quickly, still scurrying over, "I'm so so so sorry and I had absolutely no right to look up that information on you."

JJ could feel the words on the tip of her tongue - _No, you didn't. _But really, was it that big a deal? If she hadn't had that secret, would she have cared? Would anyone really care if someone decided to Google them? Of course, it wasn't a matter of Googling, but nonetheless. There was no rule or law or agreement that stated Garcia was not allowed to dig in to JJ's past.

"It's fine," JJ replied, "Really, Garcia, don't even begin to feel bad..."

"I am way past beginning but if my apology is accepted then, maybe, I could reach the end."

JJ smiled - she couldn't help it. "Apology accepted."

"Great! I'll never do - ask - " she nodded firmly, "I'm just going to be in my office!"

JJ watched Garcia go, the smile still on her face. But if she knew she wasn't off the hook. Already she could begin to imagine how the others would treat her. Hotch wouldn't regard it - he'd treat her the same. As would Rossi. Emily would be obviously curious, but not likely to press. Morgan would probably keep a respectful, cautious distance. Reid would, most likely, attempt a stumbled, awkward apology followed by an equally awkward offer to talk if she wanted and ending with a not-meant-intrusively-but-intrusive-all-the-same question of, "So...how'd it all happen?" Sometimes Reid could be clueless like that, mean well but not manage it.

Luckily, JJ made it to her office after that without encountering anyone she didn't wish to encounter. Towards lunch, however, she sensed a presence at her door and looked up to see Emily.

"Hey, we were going to go grab a bite from that sandwich place down the street and wondered if you wanted to come." Emily offered.

"I - I don't know, I'm kinda busy, I think I might just have something here." JJ replied politely - lying. She wasn't too busy to take a lunch break.

Emily nodded and moved to leave but then stopped and added, "You know, we won't pry. Really."

JJ deliberated. There was a sincerity to Emily's voice that she trusted, and besides, she'd have to talk to them eventually.

"Yeah," JJ nodded, clearing her throat, "Yeah, ok, just let me grab my purse."

It was the usual group going. Hotch and Rossi hardly ever joined in, but everyone else on the team did. They all walked down to the sandwich place together. It wasn't exactly ritual, but they did do it often, at least once a week when they were actually in Quantico. Usually they discussed a case that was haunting them, something they'd heard on the news, their families, whatever. Today everyone was silent, stuck in their own thoughts.

It was the type of silent that wasn't exactly awkward, but not too pleasant either. It was a noticeable silence. A loud type of silence.

Eventually Morgan couldn't stand it any more and said, "JJ, you don't have to worry about that guy getting out on parole. At least not due to us. Hotch sent that guy's lawyer the file back, saying the profile pointed to him."

JJ felt relieved for just a moment before asking, "Is that true?"

"Why would I lie about sending a file back?" Morgan asked in response.

"No, not that part..." JJ stopped for a moment before starting again, "I - I meant the profile not pointing towards him. Is that true, or did Hotch just say it because...?"

She didn't want to imply that she thought Hotch would lie for her. She blushed even as she uttered the question, chastising herself for thinking she was so special.

Reid cleared his throat. "I too looked over the case file? It seems to me your sister was absolutely correct in identifying him as the murderer. There's really only a point seven seven chance that he's innocent."

JJ nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the ground. _A .77 chance, _she thought,_ Only Reid. _

When they made it to the store, ordered, and found a table, JJ finally felt herself relax. Her friends seemed to have accepted her being in the Witness Protection Program. Or maybe they didn't quite believe she was in it, didn't quite believe anything had changed.

They ate the sandwiches and talked for a bit, but when a lull came in the conversation Morgan asked, almost gently - "JJ? What happened after your sister gave her testimony?"

Emily threw him a look. Garcia smacked his arm.

For just a second JJ was angry. _So much for not mentioning it,_ she thought bitterly. Then she shook the thought away. Being cross would do no good, and besides, if she didn't tell them herself who knew what kind of insane explanations they'd make up for themselves.

"We entered into Witness Protection."

No real shock registered on her coworkers faces. JJ was surprised to find she was disappointed.

"My name used to be Jenna Jakob."

That's the only thing Will wanted to know, but it seemed the team had different questions on their mind.

"Why would you go on the news nearly every week appealing for the capture of serial killers if you're trying to keep your identity secret?" That from Reid.

JJ shook her head, "I'm not hiding anything," she insisted, "This is me."

But something in their eyes told her they didn't quite believe her. JJ's forehead creased, and she opened her mouth to insist that she was the woman they'd always known, but the ringing of her phone interrupted her.

"It's Hotch," she said after she hung up, "He needs us back immediately."


	7. Chapter 7

_~~~ Thanks! Enjoy! Review! :) ~~~_

* * *

For a file to come straight to Aaron Hotchner, the case had to be big.

This one was. A triple homicide, a week, another triple homicide, another week...the UnSub was killing three people all on one day, then striking again at almost exactly the same time the following week. So far the victim count was up to nine. They weren't quick gunshot wounds either - they were time-consuming drownings, with the three victims tied together - the first bunch were related, the next bunch friends, the third utter strangers. The murders were taking place in Buffalo, and why the police had waited so long to contact them, Hotch couldn't imagine.

Hotch stood and watched as his team assembled around the table. He often thought of all of them, including himself, as a misfit clutter that somehow formed together perfectly. As JJ sat down at the table, she looked up at him momentarily, and he felt a little bad from taking this away from her. Briefing the team was her job - he knew she saw it as a slight insult when detectives overlooked her and went to him instead.

"Buffalo, New York already has a victim count of nine in just three weeks," Hotch began briskly, sliding the crime scene photos across the table. Garcia made a face as she caught sight of a man, arms and legs bound, hair wet from being thrown to the bottom of a backyard swimming pool.

Hotch went on, "The UnSub doesn't bother with anything too elaborate, doesn't torture them or strip them of their clothes, just ties them up and immerses them in water. Simple - but timely."

"Where is he finding his victims?" Reid inquired.

"Police aren't sure if it's premeditated or a crime of opportunity. Or a little of both. The first three victims, Eloise, Taylor, and Ricky Brownson were husband, wife, and son. It is believed the UnSub broke into their home, somehow threatened them, bound them, and forced them into their own pool." Hotch saw JJ pale slightly and understood. It was so much harder to listen to family crimes with a family of your own.

"The next three victims were Shannon Iver, Kimberley Langston, and Alyssa Henning. They were friends on vacation and were the only ones at the time relaxing in the hotel pool. Again, the UnSub bound them and drowned them. There is some security video but is grainy at best. Garcia, I'll need you to go over that and get me any information you can from it." Hotch informed, instructed, and Garcia nodded.

"The most recent victims were found yesterday. Horation Johnston, Newton Stewart, and Lana Burke. They vary in ages and have seemingly no connection, except for the fact that all were last seen at a local grocery store. They were discovered in a sparse forest behind a school, drowned in a shallow pond."

"Something's driving this UnSub...an obsession; something personal." Rossi commented.

"Exactly," Hotch agreed, "And he's not going to stop until we catch him."

"Well, something set him off," Morgan voiced.

Hotch nodded once, "It's time we find out what."

[XYZ]

JJ took a deep breath before forcing herself to press number 3 on her cell phone - the speed dial for Will.

Although Will had said he'd give up his shield for her, she hadn't necessarily wanted him to and she definitely didn't expect him to. When he left New Orleans to live with her in DC she'd been pleasantly surprised. He had taken a break from work, starting from just before Henry was born to a little after his first birthday. Then a couple months ago he'd read about a local shooting and just couldn't stand it anymore. The work that was in his blood had summoned him back, and JJ didn't mind. He now worked for a Virginia precinct.

Going out-of-town for work didn't mean much, normally. She'd be away from Will and Henry for a week or so, but Henry would continue going to his daycare and Will would get out of work in time to feed him dinner and put him to bed. No special arrangements needed to be made, and usually JJ had no reservations about calling Will and letting him know she'd be gone for a few days.

This was different.

How do you tell the father of your son - and too, a man who was so much more than that - that you're part of Witness Protection...and then run off to hunt down a killer for the next half a dozen days?

JJ was right to worry. Will knew what it meant when she called him during the day.

"You're goin' off on a case, aren't you?" He said, almost completely cutting off her hello.

"Will, don't make this a big deal -"

"It is a big deal, JJ. You can't hit me with something like Witness Protection and then disappear."

"I'm not disapearing Will I'm - I'm doing my _job_."

"Don't even try that."

"Try what?"

"Don't try and act like I don't know you're out helpin' to catch monsters. I do know, JJ, I know more than anyone - but doesn't family mean anything to you?"

"_What?_ Will -"

"This is a big deal, JJ. It's goin' t' take a lot for me to wrap my head around it. Never mind the fact that you never cared enough to tell me -"

"It wasn't any of you business," JJ growled.

"Whatever. I'll talk to you when you get back, Jayje." And then, taking a cheap-shot: "Or would you prefer Jenna?"

_"Don't."_JJ hissed sharply. The only response she got was a beep and then a dial tone as Will hung up.

She snapped her phone shut and brushed some hair over her face, which she was sure was red by now with anger. Her eyes threatened tears and she didn't need the profilers noticing that, either.

JJ had been leaning against the bathroom door - she'd wanted privacy, and the Qunatico women's washroom got surprisingly good cell reception - but now she blew out a stream of tense air, slipped her phone into her pocket, and exited.

Her head hit Hotch's shoulder as he passed by, heading for the elevator.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Hotch looked down at her, running his eyes over her face and taking in her slightly exhausted expression.

"JJ." he held on to her name for a moment longer than necessary, "Are you alright?"

She nodded quickly and they made their way to the elevator together. He pressed the button and the door pinged open. As JJ stepped in Hotch cleared his throat.

"You know," he began as the elevator doors slid shut, "If you don't want to take this case I'd completely understand -"

"Hotch," JJ replied sternly, "This is nothing. What's going on in my life isn't significant. This is just another case and unless you're suggesting you think I'm unfit -"

"Absolutely not," Hotch interrupted, "You've proved yourself more than capable on this job and I have no doubt you will put it first. But if you wanted a break -"

"Well, I don't." she didn't mean to be so rude; Will had gotten her upset.

"Alright. I'm sorry."

"Don't be - just...just treat me like you always do, ok?"

Hotch nodded. Then: "I trust you, JJ."

JJ took in a deep breath. Previously she'd been glaring at the floor but now she forced herself to look up at her boss. The question she was about to ask was needy and immature and maybe unprofessional, but she felt the need to ask it.

"No matter what my name?"

Hotch looked over at her. He'd been legitimately passing by the washroom door when he'd heard JJ's irritated tone and paused just a second to listen in. He knew she'd had a fight with Will and felt his heart break for her. _What'd that jerk say, _he found himself wondering angrily,_ to make her so shaken up?_

Then he forced himself to calm down and answer honestly.

"No matter what your name," he promised.


End file.
